Royal Antwerp FC suffered a 1-0 away defeat to Standard Liège on Saturday, their second consecutive loss in the Jupiler Pro League. The only goal came from a 77th-minute penalty by Dennis Eckert Ayensa, awarded after a VAR-confirmed foul by Tsunashima on Abid. The match at Sclessin marked a disappointing comeback for midfielder Arthur Vermeeren, as Antwerp, managed by Marvin Compper, failed to find their rhythm. The result leaves The Great Old in ninth place in the league standings with seven points from two wins, one draw, and this defeat.
Antwerp created little danger in the first half. Their first chance fell to Arne Somers, but his shot went straight at goalkeeper Epolo. After the break, Antwerp tried to apply more pressure. A Somers effort was saved by Fossey, and a strike from Nicolás Benítez forced Epolo into an excellent stop. Attempts from Jens Dierckx and Mikkel Damsgaard also failed to find the net. The home side proved more clinical. After Ayensa coolly converted the penalty, Antwerp could not mount a comeback. A Victor Nielsen header was saved by Nozawa, and a Yankuba Drammeh shot lacked power. The best chance for an equalizer came from Georges Nguene, who hit the crossbar late on.
Manager Marvin Compper made several changes in the second half to try and change the game's momentum. As early as the 61st minute, he replaced Ibrahim Salah and Eliot Busi with Souleymane Fofana and Jackson Porozo. Two more substitutions followed five minutes later, with Georges Nguene and Oliver Mortensen making way for Yankuba Drammeh and Noah Mohr. After conceding, Compper introduced fresh legs, including bringing on Francis Narh for Jens Dierckx. Despite these interventions, Antwerp could not break down Standard's defense. A positive note was the strong debut of defender Cortés, who made a good impression.
This loss keeps Antwerp stuck in ninth position in the Jupiler Pro League. They have seven points from four matches, with a goal difference of plus one, having scored ten and conceded nine. The gap to league leaders Charleroi has widened to five points. Recent form shows a mixed pattern of loss, draw, win, win (LDWW) over the last four league games. The next challenge is a difficult away trip to face Club Brugge, who currently sit second. That fixture is scheduled for Sunday, September 13, 2026. Fans can check the full schedule on our fixtures page and follow the live standings.
Axel Brisart of HLN Voetbal, reporting on the match, summarized: "Arthur Vermeeren had zijn comeback bij Antwerp liever anders gezien." He added critically, "De Great Old ging met 1-0 onderuit op Standard. En terecht: de ploeg van Marvin Compper was nergens." The roughly one thousand Antwerp supporters present at Sclessin, after mayor Willy Demeyer reversed an initial ban, had little to cheer about. All attention now turns to preparing for the crunch clash at the Jan Breydel Stadium against Club Brugge, a important test in the early season.
